The Revenge of Captain Dagger
by Ivory Tuluxey
Summary: My mother was killed when I was twelve years old. She was betrayed. I was too young to do anything about it then but I’m older now. Old enough to take back what she lost, old enough to make the traitor pay. I will avenge her death and claim what is rightf
1. since no one read it and

The Revenge of Captain Dagger

_My mother was killed when I was twelve years old. She was betrayed. I was too young to do anything about it then but I'm older now. Old enough to take back what she lost, old enough to make the traitor pay. I will avenge her death and claim what is rightfully mine. This I so swear._

The atmosphere in the bar was not what most would exactly call pleasant but it suited Brie's mood perfectly. The stench of stale beer, sweat, and urine was so thick as to be visible and the air was murky with filth. Whores and prostitutes ran about squealing, lust-filled men chasing after them, while others lay about, sprawled in drunken stupors. Loud voices and bawdy laughter sounded out from every part of the room. It was hardly the place for a noble woman but Lady Brianna of Cortelina was no ordinary noble. She sat in breeches and a tunic with a mug half full of frothy ale in her hand. To the casual observer, she looked no different than any other boy in his late teens.

"My, en't you a fine lookin' lad. What'd'ya say to a night o' company. I could teach you a thin' o' two I bet you never knew 'afore. You'd be an attentive pupil, I can tell."

The whore's slurred, whining voice came from somewhere to Brie's left.

"Not int'rested, but I appreciate your concern for my education."

Brie didn't turn to look at the whore. She didn't have to; they were all alike with their rouged lips, reddened cheeks, tight corsets, and heaving bosoms. The whore pouted and with a flounce of her skirts, she left to go make her offer to someone more responsive.

"Smart choice lad. You don't wanna get mixed up with 'er. Too slappy that one is. Always slappin' a fellow for no reason. Well, no _good_ reason anyway."

The speaker winced and rubbed his cheek. He had long dark hair and dark eyes. Various beads and other paraphernalia were knotted into his matted hair. He was more than a little drunk. Before Brie could cut him off, he launched into a slurred, unintelligible monologue. She sighed and waited for him to wind down so she could leave. The night had been a complete waste of time. Rumors of the _Black Pearl_'s docking had neither been confirmed nor contested and she was no closer to fulfilling her vow than the night before.

"...Full o' daring, dashin' he is. No lady can resist his charm..."

The man's voice droned on and on, his hands flailing about elaborating his tale. Some men were mean drunks, becoming violent, some were weeping drunks, sobbing and blubbering when intoxicated. This man was clearly a quirky drunk, Brie decided, with peculiar affectations and bizarre mannerisms. Finally after what seemed like eternity, he concluded his speech.

"...An' that m'lad is why Cap'n Jack Sparrow is unquestionably, withou' question the greates' pirate in the Caribbean."

Brie turned sharply towards the drunken man.

"Jack Sparrow?! Jack Sparrow of the _Black Pearl_?! What do you know about Jack Sparrow?! Tell me Man!" she said urgently.

But the man was already passed out, his tankard tipping into Brie's lap. She uttered a few choice curses as she mopped up the ale. Looking down distastefully at the unconscious man slumped on the bar beside her, she poked him sharply a few times. The only response was a loud and steady snore. Brie rolled her eyes and let out a resigned sigh. The odd-looking man did seem to have information she so badly wanted. Hooking her arms beneath his armpits, she dragged him off the stool. Brie grunted with the effort of keeping him from hitting the ground. He was much more solid than he looked and as heavy as a sack full of bricks. With much swearing and grumbling, she dragged him a full ten feet before stopping to take a break. She wiped her brow with her sleeve as droplets of sweat fell to the floor. Hoisting him up again, she resumed her slow and painful journey toward the door.

The night breeze was a sharp relief after the sultry air of the bar and Brie shivered slightly as the cool draft seeped through her thin shirt. Thrusting the man's inert body against an empty wagon, she sat back on the cobblestone street inspecting him for the first time. He was younger than he acted—probably only in his early thirties—and his clothing had no more than the usual amount of grime encrusted on it. They were well made and he was armed with a good sword and pistol. Through his open mouth she could see several gold-plated teeth. On the whole he seemed quite prosperous. That fact coupled with the adoring way he had referred to Jack Sparrow, Brie concluded that he was probably a pirate. Possibly even on the _Black Pearl_ herself, Brie thought with excitement. She settled back and keeping an eye on the motionless form of the man, Brie thought once again about her plans for revenge.

Killing the accursed so-called 'Captain' Jack Sparrow would only be the beginning. He was considered the greatest pirate alive. Ha! Hadn't she been taught by one ten times the pirate than he? Sparrow wasn't worthy of being successor to legendary pirate Ari Saber. Once she took the _Pearl_ from him, there would be no doubt of that. Then armed with Ari's ship, she could set about avenging Ari's death.


	2. just for you

Slowly dawn crept along the horizon and the city came awake. Brie contemplated moving the man when he let out a groan and rolled onto his back, his eyes squinting in the morning light.

"Good! You're awake. Listen man, I only want to ask you a few questions. Last night you mention-," Brie started cheerfully.

"Shh," The man hissed. "Not so loud."

"Sorry," Brie said in a quieter voice. "I just want to kno-,"

"Still too loud!"

"Is this better?" She questioned in a whisper.

"No," He whispered back.

"What do you know about Ja-,"

"Shut your bloody trap and go away."

Brie sighed. The information was going to be a lot harder to extract than she'd thought but it was the only lead she'd had in weeks and she was desperate for information. After a few moments of silence Brie stood slowly, dusting off her breeches and grabbed one of his arms to help him up as he struggled to his feet.

"What are you doing?" he asked gruffly.

"Helping you get sober because you look as though you were dragged through manure," Brie stated matter-of-factly as she lead him into the closest inn to get him a room.

Brie let the man sit in a chair as she talked to the innkeeper. She arranged for hot water to be sent up to the room as she forced him to eat a bit of warm porridge and drink a cup of tea.

"I don't drink tea," he protested, "It's too...feminine, savvy?"

Brie gave a sardonic smile, "You? Too feminine? Nonsense." Even she was more masculine than he was. She mentally readjusted her classification of him from a quirky drunk to being just plain quirky.

After the man had woken enough to climb the stairs with only a little help from Brie, they went into the room, where he promptly collapsed onto the bed.

"Not yet," Brie sighed, "You still smell like stale rum and vomit."

When he did not move she drew a bucket of water from the tub that sat steaming and threw it onto him.

"Damn it boy! Leave me alone!" he spluttered. He quickly rose to his feet and reached for the sword at his side. With a move like lightning, Brie tripped him and pushed him into the tub. He let out a yelp as he hit the scalding water and looked down in astonishment at his now-drenched self. His mouth opened and closed a few times

"Now you'll be clean," Brie smiled in spite of herself.

"But my clothes are wet."

"True, but clean."

Brie pushed the screen in front of the man to shield him from view and threw over a bar of soap. Without her having to say anything, he undressed. Brie smiled. This man was a quick learner. The smile faded as he threw his dirty sopping wet clothes deliberately over the screen one by one, each article of clothing coming dangerously close to her head.

Dodging the clothes, she gathered them up and took them down to the innkeeper to be cleaned. Roughly describing the man's height and breadth, she requested a pair of clean clothes be brought to the room. Making her way upstairs, she sat outside the door to wait. A song wafted through the thin walls of the inn. One about pirates' lives interspersed with yo-ho-ing. Brie smiled a little to hear the man's out of tune voice. The clean clothes arrived just as the splashing from inside the room subsided. She knocked and opened the door.

"What've you done with my clothes?" the man said annoyed, his head peeping around the screen.

"They're being cleaned, wear these for now," she said as she passed the bundle of clothing back to him.

Grumbling, the man took the clothes. Brie heard the soft rustle of cloth.

"They're a bit big, aren't they?" he said emerging from behind the screen. Indeed they were slightly baggy, but they kept him fully clad. She shrugged and sat on the bed.

"They'll do," she said.

"What is all this for exactly mate?" he asked.

"You've got some information that I'm interested in," Brie replied evenly.

"Information is it? Just what is it that you wanted to know, laddie-boy, or weren't you planning on telling me?"

"Any information you have concerning the _Black Pearl_," she said, not rising to his bait.

"Ah, the _Black Pearl_ then. Yes, I do know something about the _Pearl_. Why exactly were you wanting this information, may I enquire?" His voice was guarded, wary now.

"That is my own business. Now if you'll oblige me, what do you know about the _Black Pearl_."

"All in good time my young friend, all in good time. Now, I'll bet you didn't know that the man you so very kindly 'rescued'," he gestured to himself, "Is the greatest sailor in the Caribbean. You see..." And with that, once again before Brie could interrupt, he launched off into another meaningless monologue on the slight nuances that distinguish a good sailor from a great one. She let out a resigned sigh. This man, it seemed, was far too in love with the sound of his own voice. In spite of her desire to learn more of what this man could tell her about the _Pearl_, she found herself captivated by his manner of speaking and noted his uncanny ability to make even the dullest subjects appear fascinating.

By the end of this stranger's conversation with himself, Brie had the smile of a content child listening to a storyteller's tale.

"That's incredible. You must be a great sailor indeed," Brie said over exaggerating slightly, playing to his ego.

"My dear boy, I did warn you, I _am_ the best. You should pay close attention mate. You could learn a great many things from me," he replied languidly.

"I doubt it. I've had an excellent education."

"Ah, but who was your instructor? Surely not one as great as I?"

"From one who was a friend first and a pirate only after that. Unless I'm much mistaken, you are a pirate yourself. I have yet to judge, however, whether you are a friend or not. As of now, the only thing I can trust to come out of a scallywag like you, sir, is untrustworthy advice not worth taking."

"Your education does appear to be quite excellent," he said approvingly. "It is always best to be cautious. Truly, your intellect is dizzying."

"The world only spins if you keep dancing with me," she quipped.

"I see no one dancing mate."

"Then you are blind, friend, for we have been circling each other like wolves all day,"

He stared at her for a moment before breaking into a grin. "Very good lad," he chuckled, "What's your name then?" he asked with a smile that made his features quite attractive.

"Brian Dagger," Brie replied, "and yours?" she asked, returning his smile. He seemed to be a good fellow and a worthy ally.

The man stood proud and took off his hat, "The daring, dashing, exceptionally brilliant, Captain Jack Sparrow, at your service," he placed his hat over his breast and bowed low.

Brie's heart sunk, "You're Jack Sparrow?!" she cried in consternation, "Oh no! That's awful!"

He looked surprised and a little indignant, "And what's wrong with that mate?"

"Oh everything" Brie said dismayed. "I have to go" and she fled through the door leaving the man—Jack—standing in the middle of the room completely bewildered.

Brie's heart was pounding as she slowed to a stop a few blocks away from the inn. Her thoughts raced back and forth, always returning to the inescapable fact that she had just befriended the man she had disliked since she was twelve years of age. Jack Sparrow didn't deserve the _Black Pearl_—that much was apparent. Under normal circumstances he would have had to defeat Ari for the ship to rightfully be his. But he had simply waited until Ari and her crew were hanged and then taken the ship. But Brie couldn't kill him now that she had met him. Damn it, she _liked_ the man.

Brie leaned against a building, slid to the ground and began to rework the finer details of her plan.


	3. I added chapters

Jack glanced back as he weaved though the crowd of fisherman, port officials, and unsavory characters ever-present at the water's edge, making sure that Brian still followed. The boy had been ready to set sail in a surprisingly short period of time and his expression held no traces of being apprehensive, the normal state for young boys leaving home the first time. Jack considered the claims made by the boy—that he was an experienced sailor, twenty-two years of age, that he never lied—and conceded that they might even be true.

Jack turned his attention to the innocent looking ship that, when her name was uncovered and her black sails unfurled, was the deadliest, most feared ship in the Caribbean—and the pride and joy of Jack's existence. He was home again and that, of course, was the beauty of it—he could travel all over the seas and never once leave home. Jack smiled and turned to Brian who had just caught up. He gestured grandly toward the ship, involuntarily wanting Brian to approve, and spoke.

"Welcome to my humble abode. She may not look like much mate, but don't set too much in store by looks. She can outrun anything in her Majesty's Navy, and they all know it." The note of fierce pride and ownership was evident as he described the ship of which he was captain.

"As do I," Brian replied gratifyingly. "I have listened to many a bedtime story about the _Black Pearl_ and her various exploits. Not to mention her ingenious captain."

"If you really are twenty-two, then I must admit, I was not the captain at that time. That would have been my predecessor, Captain Ari Saber, you heard about. I've always wished I could've met him, even once, before he was hanged," Jack said almost wistfully, looking at the infamous ship docked before them.

Brian looked startled. "You respected Ari Saber?"

It was Jack's turn to look surprised. "Of course I did. He's my absolute role model. I too grew up hearing the tales of his daring, some even say mad, adventures lad. Everyday I strive to be like him."

Brian blinked. "That explains more than it shouldn't," he murmured.

"Whatsat s'posed to mean?" questioned Jack.

Brian cleared his throat and hastily looked away. "Oh nothing," he said airily.

Jack decided to let the matter drop.

"Time for you to meet the crew Lad," he said as he climbed on board his ship. Brian followed obediently.

"Oy, Cap'n, who's the puppy?" said Thom, one of his crewmembers, grinning in a manner that did not bode well for Brian. "I didn't know we was starting a nursery school." The others joined in the taunting and Jack was about to intervene on behalf of the poor boy when he spoke up.

"I'm not so young and helpless, despite what _you_ may think." The boy's subtle emphasis turned the seemingly bland statement into an insult.

"You should watch how you talk to folk bigger than you, lad, unless you have the strength to back up what you say. "Thom looked down at him contemptuously.

"Try me." Brian's gaze never wavered as he looked directly into the much larger man's eyes. Before Jack could interfere, Thom gripped Brian's shoulder. The look of surprise on Thom's face was almost comical as Brian slipped out of his grasp and a few deft maneuvers later, sent him soaring though the air. There was a brief moment of silence before the catcalls started.

"Woo! Poor ol' Thom! Beaten by a boy!"

"Tell me Thomas, was flying as glorious as it looked?"

"All righ' all righ', enough already," Thom grumbled good-naturedly. Turning to Brian he grinned and stuck out his hand. "I'm Thomas or Thom if you prefer. Glad to have you aboard the _Black Pearl_."

The rest of the crew crowded around introducing themselves and Jack relaxed. The boy threw Thom over his shoulder with such surprising ease that Jack noted that he would not pick a fight with him while intoxicated.

"Right," Jack said almost half-heartedly, "Hoist the sails then."

Despite Jack's seemingly dismissive behavior the crew immediately jumped into action, pulling ropes and hoisting anchors.


End file.
